Brake gauging device



June 25, 1935. L, MILLER ET AL 2,005,870

BRAKE GAUGING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR5 fil. w/v L, NILLER. RUSSEL 1. H. HILLE/P.

ATTORNEYS June 25, 193 A. L. MILLER ET AL BRAKE GAUGING DEVICE "Filed June 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Shet 2 =7 INVENTORS 17. w/v L./'1/LLE/?.

RUSJE'L 1. HIV/LL51? W Ma i/(Z ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE GAUGING DEVICE Alvin L. Miller and Russell H. Miller, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 20, 1932, Serial No. 618,114

Claims. '(01. 33-180) This invention relates to a gauging device use- F g. 5 is a en d Sectional w taken bful for initial installation, relining, adjusting or stantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. I otherwise manipulating the brakes of vehicles. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of The device is particularly one designed for use Fig.

5 with brakes of automotive vehicles. Fig. 7 is a view pa t y in Section and with parts 5 Many brakes in use today have expanding shoes t w y lustrating a modified arran equipped with brake lining or friction material e O l. adapted to frictionally engage the inner surface The front axle of an automotive vehicle is of a brake drum. Such a brake structure is shown illustrated at the Same having a Wheel Spindle 10 herein as one with which the present tool may the back plate of a brake s l s ra e at 3, 10 be used. The object of the invention is to proand a brake shoe is illustrated at 4' having a brake vide a gauging tool for quickly and accurately lining effecting proper adjustment of brake shoes. In The tool y comprise a b e e e t Hiesome brakes different portions of the shoes are signed to be Swiveled upon the Sp and'this adjusted for different normal clearances as rem y be mp i h d thr u h he means of a 15 gards the brake drum; as for example, one e d suitable adaptor bushing ll. A given tool may be of the shoe termed the heel may be adjusted pp With a number adaptor u h n for clearance as regards the brake dr m, less order to take care of various sized spindles, or than the clearance at the other end of the brake an adaptor bushing such as shown in application 0 shoe called the toe. This is usually true of Serial No. 436,51 filed- On March 17,1930,Whi011 hydraulic brakes. The clearances may vary with is adjusta l y b usedv y, the t m the brake design .and the tool may be arranged may be mounted on the end of a live axle as well for use with as many different brake variations as on a spindle. I as may occur. The hub element may have a boss [2 which is The principal objects of the invention reside cored out for receiving a member advantageously 25 in the provision of a tool structure adapted to be of tubular form, as Sh at which is Securely journaled upon the axis of a wheel whether it be fastened into the boss I2 as by means of a press a spindle or the end of a driving shaft. The fit or the like. A journal-forming member [4 tool-is of .a relatively simple rugged structure may be disposed at the end of thetube within capable of taking close adjustment and provided the boss It. A rod member I5 may extend into 30 with a gauging element which is shiftable and the tube and its inner'end, as at [6, may be jourwhich has a plurality of gauging surfaces in order naled in the member M. This member preferto gauge different portions of the brake shoe ably is provided with screw threads, as at I6, and which are set for different clearances as regards projects through the end of the tube. An enthedrum, with one major adjustment of the tool. largement ll is on the rod l5 and it may be in 35 In other words, for a given brake job the tool the form of a washer secured to therod by apin may be properly adjusted as regards the diameter it, or it may be integral therewith, and this memof the braking surface of the drum, and then ber may have a flange i9 extending over the end this adjustment may be maintained d th difof the tube. A collar 20 may be-placed over the ferent portions of the brake shoe properly gauged Of the rod and it may have a flange 2| i g 40' by the shiftable gaugingvelement over the tube and the same may be fixed to the In the accompany-mg drawings; 7 end of the tube by set screws 22. This serves to Fig 1 is a View partly in elevation and partly hold the rod in place and prevent it from removal from the tube. A suitable handle, such as in section showing a tool constructed in accordance with the invention mounted upon the wheel mustmted at may be Secured'to the end of the 45 rod so that it may be turned. The inner end spindle of a front axle of anautomotlve vehicle. may be journaled in the member '4 whereas the 2 1S sectlonal taken through the enlarged portion or washer portion I! may turn tool a with res ect to the end of the tube remote from Fig. 3 is an end view illustrating the gauging the element and diagrammatically illustrating the re- The tube is preferably provided t a lengthlation of the gaugingsurfaces thereof, looking on Wise extending l t 39 d a 1 g l llne 33 of Fig. 2. ment or follower 3! with internal screw threads Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken subfits within the tube and is arranged to beshifted stantially on line 4-4 of'Fig. 2. therein by the turningof the screw threaded rod. 55"

A shiftable gauge-supporting block 32 may be sleeved over the tube l3; a handle 33 may be screw threaded into a boss 34 and .designed to be tightly engaged against the tube to hold the block from shifting. The block may have an aperture 35 for receiving a protecting stud or finger 36 on the collar 3 I, this stud extending through the slot 30 in the tube I 3. Accordingly, it will be noted that by turning the rod I 5 the plunger 3| may be shifted in the tube, the same being held against rotationby reason of the stud 3-5 projecting through the slot in the tube, and the stud 36 due to its engagement with the block 32, may shift the block lengthwise in the tube. maybe adjusted and a given adjustment may be maintained by screwing the handle 33 down tightly against the tube.

The block 32 may have a boss 40 provided with a recess 4| for ro-tatably receiving the projecting part 42 of a gauging element. The boss 443 may likewise-contain a ball 43 backed up by a spring 44 which is held by a plug 45, and this ball is designed to act as a detent when fitting into one of a number of recesses 46 in the portion 42 of the---gauging element. Accordingly, it will be noted that the gauging element may be turned and held in one of a number of positions by the ball 'detcnt. The turning of the gauging element may be accomplished through the means of an enlarged'portion which may be knurled, as shown at 41-. Thegauging part per se projects from the knurled part and is generally referenced 50.,

In .the present instance this gauging element is triangular in form, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, with gauging surfaces provided by the apices of the triangle. It has one gauging surface 5| designed to :be adjusted to the drum diameter, and the opposite face 52 may carry indicia indicating the same, as forexample, Drum dia. It has a gauging surface 53 for gauging the heel of a brake shoe and the opposite face may carry indicia Heel 2006. It has a gauging surface 55 for the toe, and the opposite surface 55 may carry suitable'indicimsuch as for example Toe .012. 'Iheparticular'dimensions given are for a tool for adjustinga brake where the heel has a .006 of an inch clearance as regards the brake drum, and

d the toe a .012 clearance as regards the brake drum.

In-using the tool the diameter of the brake drum-may be first determined and the gauging instrumentill maybe turned to position the surface 5| inwardly towards the axis. Then the tool maybe adjusted so that the surface 5| is properly positioned to indicate the drum diameter. In adjusting the shoe, the tool may be turned-to position the surface 53 innnermost for gauging the heel, and the surface 5i innermost forgauging the toe of the brake shoe. When a given gauging surface is innermost for gauging 1 purposes the opposite face is disposed upwardly and the indicia is readable. It is Within the invention to'provide a gauging tool such as the tool with a less number or greater number of gauging surfaces depending upon the requirements of the brakes to be handled. And likewise, the gauging surfaces may be so positioned as to provide the proper clearances. The tube l3 may be equipped with indicia as at 60, if the same is desired.

A modified tool arrangement is shown in Fig. 7.. In this form, the tool comprises a hub element 6| designed to be mounted upon an adaptor bushing orthe like 60, and the body'of the tool may eompriseia rod 62 secured to the hub element 6! 2 ais'by-means'of screw threads and projecting ra- Thus, the block v means for shifting the device on A supporting block 63 is reciprocable upon the member 62, and a screw threaded handle 64 is designed to be loosened and designed to permit shifting of the block 63 and for holding it in position. The handle may have a projecting teatBS which may operate in a slot or groove 66 to prevent the block 63 from swiveling on the member 62. The gauging tool may be identical with the one heretofore described, and the reference characters applied to the other gauging tool are applied to the gauge in the form shown in Fig. 7. The rod 62 may be equipped with suitable indicia 10 for indicating the distance from the axial center of the hub of the gauging surfaces of the member 50. In this form of tool the body member is of cheaper construction and is not capable of so fine adjustment as is the tool previously described. However, after an initial adjustment is made for a brake dially therefrom.

drum diameter, the gauging element 50 provides the gauging surfaces with diiferent positions for different portions of the brake shoes in an accurate manner.

We claim: 1. A brake gauging tool comprising a hub mem: ber adapted to be rotatably mounted upon a wheel spindle or axle shaft, 2. radially disposed tube fixed to the hub, an apertured Washer at the inner end of the tube, a screw threaded rod on the axial center of the tube the inner end of which journaledin the washer, a collar journaling the rod at the outer end of the tube, an inverted cup shaped collar through which, the rod extends and fitted over the outer end of the tube, means secur ing the collar to the tube and serving to hold the rod against axial movementin the tube, a handle for rotating the rod, a follower on'the threads of the rod, said tube having a longitudinally ex? tending slot therein, a projection on the follower extending through the slot, an apertured block fitting over the tube and having an aperturefor receiving the projectionof the follower, means in the block for receiving and holding a brake gauging element, and a handle screw threaded into the block and adapted to be 'abutted againstthe tube to hold the block against movement.

2. A brake gauging tool comprising a, hub element adapted tobe rotatably mounted upon an axle spindle or shaft, a memberv extending radially' outwardly therefrom a device for supporting a gauge element carried by the member, means for shifting the device on the member radially of the hubelement, a gauging element having an end portion journaled in the device and having a projecting gauging portion polygonal in cross sectional shape, the corners of the polygon being disposed different distances from the axial center of the hub element andfrom the axis upon which the gauging element is journaledand constituting each a relatively long narrow gauging surface, and detent means for holding-the gauging element in position for the useof any one of the said corners as a gauging surface.

3. A brake gauging tool comprising a hub'elementadapted to be rotatably mounted upon an axle spindle or shaft, a member'extending radially outwardly therefrom, a device for'supporting' a gauge element carried by themember, rotary I the memberradially of the hub element, a gauging element having an end portion journaled in the device and having aprojecting gauging portion polygonal in cross sectional shape, the corners of the polygon being substantially flat and disposedldifierent distances from theaxial center of the hub element and different distances from the axis upon which the gauging element is journaled and constituting each a relatively long narrow gauging surface,

and detent means for holding the gauging element in position for the use ofany one of the said corners as a gauging surface.

4. A tool for gauging vehicle brakes comprising in combination a hub element adapted to be rotatably mounted on a wheel spindle or shaft, a rod member fastened to the hub element and projecting radially outwardly therefrom, a supporting body slidable on said rod member, means for holding the supporting member against rotary movement on the rod member, a handle member screw threaded into the supporting member for clamping against the rod member to hold the supporting member in adjusted position on the rod member, said supporting body having a recess therein, a gauge member having a round end portion journaled in said recess, substantially the remaining portion of the gauge member being polygonal in cross section and projecting away from the supporting member and having a free end, detent means acting upon the gauge member to permit of its rotation in the recess and to hold it positioned, the corners of the polygonal shape consituting each a relatively long narrow gauging surface and being located different distances from the axes of the hub element and from the axis of the journaled roundend for I gauging different portions of a brake structure.

5. A tool for gauging vehicle brakes comprising incombination a hub adapted to be rotatably mounted upon a wheel spindle or shaft, an arm extending radially outwardly from the hub, a supporting member carried by the arm and adjustable lengthwise thereof, gauging means for the supporting member, a gauging element having a minor portion at one end journaled in the supporting member, said gauging element having a major portion of polygonal shape in cross section and projecting away from the supporting mem ber and adapted to overlie the brake structure and having a free end detent means for controlling the rotary movements of the gauging element in its journal mounting in the supporting member, the corners of the polygonal shape of the major portion having substantially flat surfaces and constituting each a relatively long narrow gauging surface, and the gauging surfaces of the corners being located at varying distances radially from the axial center of the minor portion of the element and from the axis of the said hub whereby the different gauging surfaces may gauge different elements of a brake structure.

ALVIN L, MILLER. RUSSELL H. MILLER; 

